Grand Rapids, MI

Prototype Machining Grand Rapids, MI

Prototype machining Grand Rapids, MI. Prototyping is an essential step in taking your product from idea to shelf. To do it right the first time around, you need to work with a prototype machine shop in Grand Rapids that can not just bring your designs to life, but have specialists on staff that can also help refine the product to improve upon it.

At Roberson Machine Company, we specialize in rapid prototyping for a number of industries. No matter the design complexity, if you can think it up, we can help make it a reality! Our team of contract manufacturing professionals are ready to support your product development goals.

Contact us or call 573-646-3996 for a free consultation on CNC prototype machining in Grand Rapids, MI.

Prototype Services Grand Rapids

We have a large factory floor with mills, lathes, and EDM machines for all of your precision CNC prototype needs. The entire staff at Roberson Machine Company is dedicated to ensuring your product development efforts go smoothly, which is why we painstakingly oversee the entire design, fabrication, and programming process to make sure every last detail meets your standards.

Finally, we understand the importance of moving a finished prototype to production as quickly as possible in order to keep the assembly line humming. Once the prototypes design has been approved, we can easily transition it to our in-house production side. We want to be your one-stop machine shop for all prototyping services.

CNC prototyping services offered at Roberson Machine Company:

What is Prototyping?

A prototype is a first-attempt physical model of a product that’s made through a special manufacturing process like CNC machining. It is often used for testing or as the first step within the mass-production process. For example, many businesses turn to Roberson Machine Company to produce a physical part swiftly in order to capture a sales opportunity or validate a design.

Prototyping is an advantageous technique that can be used for:

• Showing customers and investors a physical model of your product in as little amount of time as possible
• Demonstrating the appearance, features, and dimensions of your product
• Generating multiple separate versions of the product with different colors, surface textures, and finishing processes
• Ensuring that all parts are standardized in terms of dimension, shape, quality, and size
• Testing the market with your product before production
• Identifying and correcting potentially costly design flaws before it ever touches the market
• Streamlining and improving upon the whole production process

Overall, rapid prototyping in Grand Rapids saves time and money by creating a single run of a product that can be tested and optimized to peak performance before having to invest in thousands of units. Contact us to learn more about how this process may help your business realize a variety of cost savings.

Who Uses Prototype Machining?

A large number of Grand Rapids, MI industries have recognized the advantages of prototype machining and use it to reduce potential disruptions in the development cycle. Roberson Machine Company has successfully contracted with a notable number of companies, of all sizes, to meet their prototype manufacturing goals. We have helped the following Grand Rapids, MI industries and others develop prototypes rapidly and within cost requirements:

• With the advent of “just-in-time” manufacturing, the automotive industry needs new parts to be developed as quickly as possible and in any size production run. Roberson Tool partners with Grand Rapids, MI automotive suppliers ranging from small custom shops to well-known OEMs to produce prototype parts in several different materials, delivered affordably and on time.
• Grand Rapids, MI oil and energy firms have unique demands for prototypes: they need to be built to withstand the heavy pressure of mining, refining, and potentially being buried underground. Roberson responds to these demands by specializing in machining prototypes using exotic materials such as alloy steel, plastics, and brass.
• The Grand Rapids, MI medical industry requires parts to be developed to some of the most exacting tolerances in the machining industry: above all, preventing defective parts from making it to consumers is truly a matter of life and death. In addition, medical parts are often very small and intricate in design. Roberson Machine Company is equipped with the latest 5-axis CNC machining tools that can not only rapidly fabricate medical part prototypes no matter the dimensions, but also provide process and tracking reports required by the FDA.
• Aerospace manufacturers demand parts with specialized geometries and dimensions, and in a majority of cases using rare metals that do not deform at high temperatures and altitude. As well, the special pressures and characteristics of flight necessitate parts made to strict tolerance and design standards. Our highly-trained technicians are eager to take on the unique demands of aerospace prototype manufacturing, and our MI machine shop is devoted to delivering aerospace manufacturers parts built to the highest standard of quality.

This experience in prototype manufacturing for multiple MI industries makes Roberson Machine Company a true partner throughout the manufacturing process. Our experienced team of machinists can help you recognize flaws in your product, suggest design and usability improvements, and otherwise build on the quality of your Grand Rapids, MI finished product while lowering your R&D costs.

Why Use CNC Machining for Rapid Prototyping in Grand Rapids, MI

There are many different methods that can be used to create your prototypes, but CNC machining is far and away one of the most effective. Short for computer numerical control, CNC allows you to design a product digitally, program the design data into the computer, and let the CNC machine take it from there, shaving away bits from a piece of raw material in order to create a desired end-shape.

Using computers eliminates human error and improves the efficiency of the cuts which, in turn, means that you can make flawless, quick parts both the first time and every time afterwards. There are a variety of other reasons to choose CNC machining for prototyping, such as:

• More precise – Computer-controlled machines use modern cutters that are very accurate and precise in order to create parts with very tight tolerances.
• Faster – Modern CNC machine tools work with sophisticated computer programs that can convert files into finished parts within a matter of hours, which is ideal for getting products to market faster.
• Different materials to choose from – CNC machine tools can work on practically any material that is machinable, which includes many varieties of metal and plastic substrates. Product developers can then test different materials to see which is best for their application.
• Fixed tooling is not necessary – CNC machined parts do not require the use of separate tools and dies, which helps reduce the lead time and initial investment costs for new product development.
• Can easily change design – New product development often requires a series of improvements and modifications to the original design. Altering digital instructions is simple and only takes a few minutes with CNC machining.

Prototype Manufacturing Near Me Grand Rapids, MI | Roberson Machine Company

CNC machining is an ideal solution for product developers who need high-quality and quick parts in small volumes for testing samples and prototyping. When you choose Roberson Machine Company, we will work with you every step of the way to ensure that your designs are crafted to perfection on time and that all of your needs are met.

Call our team at 573-646-3996 or contact us for a free quote on CNC prototyping Grand Rapids services.